Groundwater on the Move Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Bureau of Land Management. Water that accumulates beneath the surface of the Earth is called groundwater. Contrary to popular belief, groundwater does not form underground “rivers,” but is actually found in the small spaces and cracks between rocks and other material such as sand and gravel. Groundwater supplies about 38 percent of the water used for agriculture in the United States. [Read More]

How Dangerous Are Tsunamis? Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Geological Society of America. Imagine playing beside the ocean, when suddenly, the water drops. Where the water used to be, there are wriggling fish and ribbons of seaweed. What do you do? You could be seeing the first sign of a tsunami ─ a long wave formed in the ocean when the sea floor moves suddenly. Most tsunamis happen because of large earthquakes on the ocean floor. [Read More]

Identifying Your Watershed Activity Source: Water Use In Vermont - An Activities Guide For Teachers (United States Geological Survey) Goal To identify the (1) watershed you live in, (2) source of water used at home, and (3) pathway of surface runoff in your watershed. Look at the watershed maps of your state to answer the following questions: In what town do you reside? Locate your town on the town map. Locate your watershed on the town map. [Read More]

Investigating Water Use in Your Home Activity Source: American Geosciences Institute Water is often called a renewable resource, but what does that really mean? Is water an unlimited resource? What happens to water after we use it? This investigation will help you understand exactly how much water you use in your home and how you can keep from wasting water. If many people are participating in this investigation, work in small groups of 3-5. [Read More]

Karst Topography Model Activity Source: National Park Service (www.nps.gov/geology) and Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us/geology/resources). Adapted with permission.from the U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 97-536-A Karst Topography Computer animations and paper model, 1997 Did you know that a quarter of the world’s population gets drinking water from karst aquifers? Karst is the type of landscape that forms by dissolution of carbonate rocks (limestone, dolomite) or other highly soluble rocks such as evaporates (gypsum and rock salt). [Read More]

Land and People: Finding a Balance Activity Source: Adapted with permission by U.S. Geological Survey This environmental study project allows a group of students to consider real environmental dilemmas concerning water use and provide solutions to these dilemmas. The student packet (see Materials below) gives students most of the information they’ll need to answer the Focus Question, information such as maps, data, background, a reading about the region, and a description of the “Interested Parties,” or the various interest groups that have a stake in the outcome of the Focus Question. [Read More]

Leaf It to Me Activity Source: Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. In the water cycle, there are two ways water moves from the ground to the atmosphere: evaporation and transpiration. During evaporation, water changes from a liquid to a gas state. Transpiration is basically evaporation of water from plant leaves. Transpiration accounts for about 10 percent of the moisture in the atmosphere — with oceans, seas, and other bodies of water providing nearly all the rest. [Read More]

Liquefaction Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Soil Science Society of America. When it comes to slipping, sliding, and stability in soils, the key word is “liquefaction.” During an event like an earthquake, liquefaction is the process by which saturated soil behaves like a liquid. This can be problematic, as a liquid soil loses structure and can cause buildings to sink, foundations to crack, and soil to slide down slopes all at once. [Read More]

Make a Watershed Model Activity Source: Source: TERC. Adapted with permission.by Earth Science Information Partners. After rain falls on relatively high land, it moves downwards into drainage areas called watersheds. You will create a model of a watershed by spraying rain on a plastic cover representing Earth’s surface. By watching how it flows, you can identify drainage divides and learn about the movement of water. Materials Per group • Large aluminum roasting pan [Read More]

Making a Cave Activity Source: National Park Service. Developed by Kristen Lucke for the Views of the National Parks. Adapted with permission. Background We usually think of caves forming as rocks are dissolved and the particles are washed away, leaving hollow spaces behind. This activity simulates the way that dissolution, a chemical weathering process, leads to the formation of caves. When precipitation such as rainwater or snowmelt mixes with carbon dioxide from the air and from decaying plants in the soil, the result is carbonic acid. [Read More]